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Adamek has won four straight fights since joining the heavyweight division.

Rumors Swirling about Potential Heavyweight Fight

By John Archibald
Resolution Sports

Newark, N.J. (Friday, May 21, 2010) – While everything at this point is pure speculation, rumors are abound that the next fight for Polish heavyweight Tomasz Adamek (41-1, 27 KOs) could be 47-year-old veteran Evander Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KOs). The most likely destination for the bout would be Newark’s Prudential Center, where current Jersey City resident Adamek enjoys a great hometown vibe and has won four fights overall.

"His manager said that he would call me back in a week or so," Holyfield’s manager Ken Sanders told Fanhouse editor Lem Satterfield this week. "I told him that we would consider it, depending how much money we're talking about, where it is and when it is."

When and if the proposed fight was to occur, it would likely be after October when Holyfield turns 48 years of age. The “Real Deal” last stepped in the ring in April and knocked out 41-year-old journeyman Francois Botha (47-5-3, 28 KOs) at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. While Holyfield looked impressive at times, one cannot mistake the fact that this was a bout between two fighters well past their prime. Holyfield won the WBF Heavyweight Championship by knocking out Botha, and 20 years have passed since the Alabama native defeated Buster Douglas to win his first heavyweight title.

Adamek, who has won world titles in both the light heavyweight and cruiserweight division, now has his sights set on winning a world title as a heavyweight. Since bumping up in weight class, the Polish sensation has won all three of his bouts and turned a lot of heads in April when he won via unanimous decision over power puncher Cristobal Arreola (28-2, 25 KOs) in the Mexican-American fighter’s home state of California. The 33-year-old Adamek has repeatedly stated that he is looking to build his way to a bout with one of the Klitschko brothers, who between them own virtually every world heavyweight title. That brings us to the question of ‘what does Adamek look to gain by fighting Holyfield?’

I think most people would agree that Adamek would cruise to victory in this fight, even though a then 41-year-old George Foreman proved anything is possible when he knocked out undefeated title-holder Michael Moorer for the IBF and WBA Heavyweight Championships in 1994 (coincidentally, it was Holyfield who Moorer defeated for the titles).

The most obvious reason I can see Adamek taking this fight is because of exposure. While he has stopped some highly touted boxers on his road to a Klitschko, the truth of the matter is Adamek is not getting the credit he deserves for defeating the likes of Steve Cunningham and Jason Estrada. Being victorious over Holyfield would not be his ticket to proper accreditation, but it would put his name more into the mainstream of the casual boxing fan. Regardless of what the reason is, people still seem to be intrigued by Holyfield’s name, and he is one of the few fighters that still remain from the heavyweight division’s last heyday in the 1990s. Maybe a bout with Holyfield would get picked up by HBO, and it would give at least a few rounds for analysts to broadcast the fact that Adamek deserves a shot at one of the Klitschkos. If they can bill it as a fight the public should want to see, maybe the public will start to ask for it.

Long story short, the ultimate goal of Adamek’s team is to get him in the ring with a Klitschko. Holyfield may not the top competitor in the heavyweight division, but perhaps this bout can elevate Adamek’s name further up the Klitschko radar and eventually into the ring. Then Adamek would have the opportunity to prove to the world that he is indeed the real deal.